Eating your water is the idea that you can boost your hydration level by consuming lots of produce. One way to accomplish this? Make yourself a meal-sized salad.

With a line of sight to Memorial Day Weekend, summer is so close we can almost taste it. It’s a season of brighter days and lighter meals. If you’re looking for a healthy and delicious recipe, try my Chinese chicken salad! And if you’re an overachiever, consider the addition of fried wonton strips for an extra satisfying crunch!

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Ingredients:

Chop and toss together

1. Napa cabbage

2. Bell pepper

3. Chopped rotisserie chicken

4. Navel orange segments

5. Sliced almonds

6. Green onion

7. Cilantro

8. Black sesame seeds

For the dressing:

Use equal parts, adjusting to the number of servings

1. Hoisin

2. Soy sauce

3. Rice vinegar

4. Sesame oil

Has my superstition peaked?

No.

These days, my work in the interior design world has given me an inside ticket to a very dirty secret. Our houses are full of hazardous materials.

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My reflections on this topic are at least four months in the making and when I received a push notification from the NYTimes on Monday morning announcing that the US was finally proposing a full ban on asbestos, I was actually bummed that the news had dropped before I could raise my alarm bell. In 2024 alone, more than half of the homes I’ve been hired to help renovate are positive for asbestos-containing materials. If that sounds exaggerated, it helps to consider the data.

According to the US Census Bureau, there were about 80 million housing units in this country in 1975, the year my parents graduated from high school. Since then, we’ve added about 65 million additional units. But this implies that excluding the impact of total teardowns, 55% of our country’s housing stock is from a time when our homes were built and insulated with asbestos-containing materials.

What does this mean?

Let’s start with some basics. Asbestos is a known carcinogen and carcinogens are cancer-causing agents. Asbestos found in shingles and vinyl floor tiles are referred to as “bound asbestos” referring to it being formulated or bound together with other chemicals. These fibers are more difficult to release. Cutting, drilling, scraping or sanding are instances when the fibers can escape and become airborne. Deterioration or product degradation (from aging, UV exposure, or mechanical wear) is another potential cause.

The asbestos that has caused more anxiety over the years are the airborne fibers that are only visible with microscopy. It would take 600 of these fibers bundled together to be the same thickness as a single human hair. When these fibers become embedded in the lungs, our body has no way to eliminate them. Asbestosis, a condition where the fibers cause pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis can lead to shortness of breath and heart failure, has been found in people (like construction workers) who’ve had long exposures to asbestos. Lung cancer is five times more common in people exposed to asbestos and the disease risk skyrockets by a factor of 30-90x in people who also smoke cigarettes. One of the most tragic pathologic outcomes is mesothelioma, a cancer of the tissue lining the lungs or abdomen. This incurable disease often causes death within a year of diagnosis. In a study of asbestos insulation workers, 10 of 124 deaths were due to mesothelioma. In the general population, mesothelioma would only be expected to impact approximately one in 100,000 people not exposed to asbestos.

Asbestos exposure often doesn’t manifest clinically for decades. Shipyard workers who were only exposed to asbestos for a few weeks during World War II ended up developing asbestos-related disease in the 1960’s.

History

Around the world, asbestos has been used for centuries to make blankets, tablecloths, and even ancient Roman ceremonial candles. As experimentation during the 20th century revealed the fire-resistant properties of asbestos, it became a common material for firefighter uniforms, hot pads, and even automotive parts.

Peak asbestos production in the US happened in the mid-1970s. The largest producers were Arizona, California, North Carolina and Vermont.

By this time, the evidence that asbestos was harmful to human health had started to stack up. The first case of mesothelioma was reported in 1953 and a major study published in 1955 linked asbestos with cancer. Yet it wasn’t until the Clean Air Act of 1970 that asbestos was classified as a hazardous air pollutant. After more than a century, mining of asbestos (a naturally occurring material) was finally suspended in full in 2002. But that didn’t stop the US from importing it for construction materials.

In yet another demonstration that the US is not always a pioneer in advancing policy to sustain and extend human life, it took us until last Monday, March 18, 2024 to advance legislation that would finally fully ban asbestos. Over 60 countries have completely banned it already, some dating back to the 1980s. Iceland was the first in 1983. Norway followed in 1984. Even countries that people in the west tend to regard as being socially or geopolitically adverse were well ahead of the curve. Saudi Arabia banned the substance in 1998. All 28 member states of the EU had completely banned asbestos by 2005.

It’s estimated that 40,000 Americans die from asbestos-related health issues each year according to research from the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.

Lest we not move too quickly, the EPA’s proposed ban on white asbestos would give companies 12 years to phase out the use of the product in building materials. I’ll be 50 years old then. I hope it won’t be too late to have made a difference in my life, as someone who does a lot of residential construction work these days.

Recommendations

What is a judicious homeowner to do? I’m fearful of the casual weekend warrior who likes to tackle DIY home improvement projects prompted by the latest hit HGTV series. Scraping off the popcorn texture-sprayed ceiling could be a high-risk health disaster. Turning the vacant under-stair space into a storage closet or puppy playpen might seem innocuous to an uninformed homeowner.

At a project I’m doing in San Francisco, we brought in a testing company last fall. When the results showed asbestos throughout the two-bedroom condo, I helped hire a remediation company to complete the demo work. Through this work, I got to watch a full-scale abatement process unfold, end to end. The company sealed off air vents, set up a plastic screen at the entrance and brought in high-volume air filters for a week. All material was double bagged and taken off-site for disposal. All of the surfaces were wiped clean. But I was shocked to learn that so long as all of the work was completed in a county and state-compliant manner, that there was no post-process testing required to demonstrate that the hazardous materials were fully removed. As part of my negotiation with the vendor, I was able to secure an air test on the last day of the demo to be sure there were no circulating asbestos fibers. Typically this test would cost around $700 in Northern California. But it’s good to get this assurance before the remediation company removes their filtration system since the fixed cost of returning and setting up their containment system can be thousands of dollars.

In California, homeowners are permitted to self-abate asbestos if the area is less than 100 square feet. And like so many things, the oversight and regulation of this code is loose and impossible to enforce. Bearing that in mind, here is some guidance from the California Department of Consumer Affairs about how to stay safe when performing work in your home.

1. Vinyl floor tiles - Asbestos is sometimes added to vinyl tile to make them stronger. It can also be present in vinyl sheet flooring and in the adhesives used to place the flooring. Fibers can be released during scraping, sanding, and cutting. Avoid over handling or damaging these materials. It would be safer to place new materials over the old ones than trying to rip the old materials out.

2. Patching compounds and textured paint - In older homes, there may be asbestos-containing materials in the wall and ceiling joints from 1977 or before. Do not scrape or sand this material. If you must cut or break it apart for any reason, wetting the material first will help contain the fibers from loosening up in the air.

3. Ceilings - Between 1945 and 1978, many buildings were sprayed or troweled with asbestos-containing material. If the material appears damaged, it’s a good idea to test it before repairing or removing. A certified and registered asbestos abatement contractor would be the best person to help with these types of jobs.

4. Stove insulation - Homes with wood burning stoves may contain thermal insulation to protect the floor and walls around the stove. As asbestos paper or millboard ages and wears down, asbestos fibers can be released. Avoid sanding, drilling and sawing these materials.

5. Furnace insulation - Oil, coal and wood furnaces with asbestos-containing insulation and cement are still found in older homes. Converting these systems to gas or electric can damage the old insulation. If the insulation is undamaged, leave it alone.

6. Door gaskets - The door gaskets on furnaces, ovens and wood and coal stoves may contain asbestos. With wear, even normal-use conditions may be releasing asbestos fibers. Handle the materials judiciously.

7. Pipe insulation - Hot water and steam pipes are sometimes covered in asbestos-containing material to reduce heat loss. After paying for almost five-figures in asbestos removal, after the wall was opened up, we found this type of insulation in our primary bathroom shower. Somehow the air test didn’t detect the presence of any circulating fibers despite the degradation of the insulation. Heat-resistant duct tape can help reseal damage like the type I recently encountered.

8. Wall and ceiling insulation - Homes built between 1930 and 1950 sometimes contain insulation made with asbestos. Anything that punctures this space can disturb the materials. Don’t mess around with this and instead call upon a trained asbestos contractor.

9. Appliances - In recent years the prevalence of asbestos containing toasters, slow cookers, dishwashers, ovens, clothes dryers and electric blankets has declined. But it’s possible that such household items are still in use. If you suspect items in your home may contain asbestos, consider replacing the items. Any repairs should be handled by a qualified technician.

10. Roofing, shingles, and siding - These exterior products pose little health risk due to their outdoor use. If there is damage to siding, spray paint can help re-seal the product. Unless your roofing is damaged or in need of replacement due to normal wear, it’s wise to simply leave it in place.

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Without a doubt, I’ve had repeat asbestos exposures over the last few months. While for me, it’s an occupational hazard, my greater fear is that my peer group is purchasing older homes with the hope of undertaking extensive renovation work without considering the impact to their health. Across America, there is scant education about asbestos. It’s an issue of another time period, but one that won’t haunt us until decades later. It’s long overdue that we move towards banning the use of this substance, but never too late to take the time to become better educated about how to reduce personal risks if you live in and are fixing up an older home.

As for my breath holding while I was by the dumpster? It’s probably of limited use. But I’m not taking any chances since I can’t see what’s inside. If the wind is blowing in my direction, the last thing I want is a face-full of cancer causing fibers placed by uninformed homeowners that haven’t taken the time to properly make an abatement plan. I’ve already had my fair share of asbestos fibers and I’m on a personal risk mitigation mission. Maybe you’ll join me in this crusade and vow to be extra careful as you think about tackling your to do list.

Today is National Love Your Pet Day. Per National Today, “Whether cats, dogs, birds, or even tigers, our furry friends are showered with love and affection on this day!”

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In observance of this occasion, today’s drop is a video of my 9-year old Maltese mix Ralphie, sampling 5 types of dog treats:

1. Bocce’s Bakery Bac’n Nutty

2. Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Retriever Sticks

3. Oven Baked Tradtion Bacon Treats (from Canada)

4. Three Dog Bakery Puppy Butters

5. Milkbones

Which will be Ralphie’s favorite? Watch to the end for the grand reveal, and be sure to give your pet some extra love and treats today!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Fast Facts about Turkey

If turkey seems expensive to you, it is. The wholesale price for frozen whole turkey reached $1.55 per pound last year, up from $0.80 per pound in 2018.

According to the USDA, the value of turkey production in America was over $7 billion last year. We produced 5.22 billion pounds of ready-to-cook turkey meat and raised 210 million turkeys. Are you good at mental math? These figures imply an average turkey size of nearly 25 pounds.

My home state of Minnesota produced the most turkeys by far last year, an astounding 37 million. North Carolina, Arkansas, and Indiana were the next largest producers of turkey at 28, 26, and 20 million birds each. It’s curious to note though, that our rate of turkey exports has also fallen significantly. In 2018, we shipped 611 million pounds of turkey abroad. In 2022, that figure was just 407 million, reflecting softening demand from Mexico and China.

Popular Foods

Yesterday, Campbell’s released their 2023 edition of the “State of the Sides,” a report about the most popular Thanksgiving sides in the US. Here’s the headline: 54% of Americans now report contentment with just side dishes, a 17% increase from last year. Twenty-two of the fifty states count mashed potatoes as their favorite turkey day dish. As a country, the average number of side dishes on the holiday table is five.

This year, Mac and cheese edged its way into the top five for the first time ever, jumping 5 points from last year, and named by 27% of Americans as their favorite side dish. We’ll thank our friends in South for that.

If you’re from Washington, pass the green bean casserole. Those coastal elites in California and New York will be savoring their root veggies along with their friends in Arizona. If Colorado is home to you, you’re probably excited about the bread. Please pass the honey butter!

Some surprises this year? 18% of Campbell’s survey respondents indicated they would consider the addition of tinned fish to a side dish, while 20% reported desiring newer fresh ingredients like cauliflower rice and non-dairy milk.

The Rise of Friendsgiving

If you’ll be gathering with colleagues, neighbors, or friends this weekend to share a holiday meal, you’re part of the 59% of Americans celebrating “Friendsgiving.” Officially added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2020, some folklorists postulate that the tv sitcom Friends helped inspire the concept of spending the holidays with friends. According to Delish.com, a 2011 ad campaign by Baileys Irish Cream also used the word Friendsgiving. On Tiktok, #Friendsgiving has over 3.6 billion views and counting.

As for me, I’ll be heading to San Francisco for tacos with friends on Sunday afternoon. Seems like the right way to do it on the west coast.

Cost of the Feast

It’s not too late to outsource the cooking to the professionals. Here are some price points across the country, in case you’re curious:

1. Whole Foods is offering its Classic Roast Whole Turkey Meal (turkey, gravy, green beans, mashed potatoes, herb stuffing, and cranberry sauce) for 4 people for $100 at the Mill Valley store. This is an especially good price if you live on a coast, because there does not appear to be any price adjustments for geography. It’s the same price in Minneapolis as it is in Manhattan. Meals are available for 4, 8, or 12 people. The 12-person “Thanksgiving Extravaganza” jumps to $540, but includes a maple bourbon ham, creamed spinach, roasted butternut squash, butternut squash soup, brioche rolls, and five appetizer offerings including dips, deviled eggs, and platters.

2. In Northwest Montana, Jalisco Cantina is offering a two or four-person dinner with roast turkey breast, pork and hominy stew, roasted cauliflower, mashed potatoes, caesar salad, cornbread, and pumpkin-spiced tres leches cake. The two-person offering is $95 and the four-person offering is $180.

3. Goddess & The Baker in Chicago is offering a Pumpkin Pie for $23, Traditional Apple for $29, and Chocolate Pecan or Chocolate French Silk for $32.

Does your back hurt yet? How’s your sleep? Did the “Dad bod” get you, too? Are you thinking about how to take care of an aging parent or pay for your children’s college education?

The first millennials turned 40 in 2021. As we reach mid-life, our needs as consumers are changing right along with us.

This morning, I had the chance to speak with Allison Conrad and Jay Small, the founders of Arey Grey. Allison’s personal experience discovering grey hair and consulting Jay - her then stylist - led the duo to research and rethink how we address loss of hair pigmentation, the reason our hair follicles go grey.

The result is “The Wrinkle Cream of Haircare,” a trademarked, research-driven line of hair products to slow and reverse loss of hair pigmentation. Bonus benefits? Stronger, thicker hair. As my hairstylist remarked in my last visit to the salon, “Every woman that sits in my chair complains about how much hair they are losing.”

Arey Grey’s “Not Today, Grey” supplement blends B and D vitamins with calcium, iron, selenium, copper, and antioxidants. In June, I took my first dose. At about $35 per month for an automatic refill, I figured the $1-per-day experiment was worth running for six months.

I’ll always remember the moment I found my first grey hair. I was sitting in my car, using the tiny mirror in the visor to look at something. But when I glanced in the mirror what I actually found was a white hair. I was 29 at the time.

In the eight years hence, life has “lifed.” Meaning, not slowed down or gotten any less complicated. Research suggests than the IRF4 gene only accounts for about 30% of why we go grey. Trust me when I say that the other 70% did me in.

Thanks to my dark hair color, every white strand sticks out. The thing about supplements and slow change is this: it happens so gradually that you usually miss it. It takes the observation of a friend you haven’t seen in a year, or the side by side of a photo to realize - maybe I did change.

This was the case with my investment in Arey Grey. I had planned to give it to the end of the year to decide whether to continue using it in 2024. Their marketing materials state clearly that the change can take a few months to visualize or notice. It wasn’t until the eve of my inaugural trip to see a colorist in the Bay Area that I noticed that my hair had actually re-pigmented. In fact, when I ran an informal poll on my Instagram account, 71% of respondents said that I didn’t need dye. Though I had far fewer greys, I was still self-conscious. My compromise was a demi permanent dye, which is longer lasting than semi-permanent dye but much less damaging than permanent color because it’s ammonia free. It left my hair extremely glossy.

My use of Arey Grey has shifted into its next phase: how long can I go without needing a re-up of hair color? I expect that under my dark and shiny new-do, my hair follicles are continuing to re-pigment, opening up the possibility that as my dye slowly washes out and blends with the half-inch of new growth each month, that I may be less grey, post-dye. Wouldn’t that be wild? A little temporary cover up while my hair reverse ages? I *love* how modern options are opening up possibilities that didn’t exist a decade ago. And apparently so do the venture capitalists who invested $4.4 million into Allison and Jay’s company in 2022.

If you’re exploring how to manage thinning, greying hair at mid-life, know that it’s not just “salt and pepper” or an endless cycle of at-home or professional “dye.” There are “supplements” and “serums,” too. In fact, here are my personal favorites: To the Root Serum, Live-In Mist (the perfect after-shower de-tangler), and Mend (a new leave-in conditioner with heat protective properties). Want more proof? Check out the company’s impressive results on their website.

As an Arey affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

If boxed macaroni is not something you keep in your pantry, perhaps these special promotions offered at national restaurant chains are more enticing. Olive Garden, Fazoli’s, and Carrabba’s Italian Grill are getting in on the action with the following specials 👇

• Fazoli’s: From now until Friday, October 20th, get two baked spaghetti entrees and two drinks for $18.

• Olive Garden: From now until November 19th, the “Never Ending Pasta Bowl” is back. For $13.99, build your own pasta bowl, and get soup or salad, and breadsticks. The list of selections includes four types of pasta, five types of sauces, and three protein add-on’s (for a $4.99 additional charge).

• Carrabba’s Italian Grill: From now until December 4th, get two adult entrees (spaghetti with meatballs, lasagna) and two kids entrees (cheese ravioli, penne mac & cheese) with a gallon of iced tea or lemonade, and four cookies.

Bon appétit!

And last night, “The Eras Tour” film debuted in Los Angeles. So in case you missed the concert when it came to your city this summer, you can catch the nearly three-hour highlights reel at your local theater. Pre-sales of movie tickets soared to over $100 million. Let’s hear it for the 33-year old moneymaking machine.

There’s no denying the artistry of Tay Tay. Yet her rise to the highest heights in pop music and global culture is visibly charted by the average resale ticket price of her shows. In 2018, Swift’s Reputation tour ticket resale price was $191. This summer? The average resale price of an Eras ticket was $1,607 according to a CNN story citing SeatGeek data. No one will forget the media attention on Ticketmaster when its tech stack couldn’t stand up to the 14 million fans that showed up on the first day of the Eras tour US pre-sale. Ticketmaster claims that they prepared for 1.5 million fans.

Last month, RetailNext, a retail analytics company used by brick-and-mortar stores, released data showing that store traffic increased an average of 7% across a sampling of Eras tour cities including Nashville, Santa Clara, Atlanta, Minneapolis, and Pittsburgh. The effect was strongest in Nashville (up 14% from the store traffic in the 3 weekends leading up to the concert), where Taylor began her career, and in Pittsburgh (up 10%) where Taylor was born. According to the Federal Reserve, the effect was also observed in hospitality, where record occupancy levels and hotel room revenues set records. In some cities, like my hometown of Minneapolis, traffic was down on concert days (versus the same day of week and week of the year, the year prior) but it was down less than in the lead up trend, implying a net positive effect.

Our world is becoming increasingly event-driven. Unless we have a very special occasion, we’ve become creatures that seldom leave home. The best proof I have for this is statistics from the National Retail Federation about returned goods. In 2012, 8.8% of items purchased (both in-store and online) were returned. By 2022, that figure had almost doubled, at 16.6%.

I am biased, because I’ve operated brick-and-mortar retail locations. From a post-purchase satisfaction standpoint, an in-store experience is generally going to perform better than an online experience. Why? Because there are opportunities for try-on (fit/size validation), and the likelihood of cognitive dissonance between ordering and receiving an item collapses when it’s coveted and collected in the same interaction. The variables that can be difficult to qualitate through a screen - like color, stretch, texture and quality of construction - become apparent with a tactile experience. This is particularly important with expensive and low-frequency purchases.

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When I operated retail locations, our team relied heavily on events to bring people in. We hosted well over 50 events per year, ranging from dog dinner parties to paint-and-sip and holiday wreath-making. Our biggest event was a wine club pick up party with Banshee, a winery based in Healdsburg, California.

As visits to stores generally wane following a post-pandemic pick up, retailers are ever more reliant on special occasions to get people to the store. This is why you see special offers on buy online, pick up in store (an extra 20% off at World Market!) and 2-hour store pick up options for those who want their merchandise on the same day and are willing to take on the “last mile” delivery obligation, themselves. Using stores to process online returns also reduces shipping costs and offers customers easier exchanges when suitable replacement inventory is in-stock.

What might the world be like as we skew towards an increasingly event-driven economy? One that panic-buys before inclement weather and outbreaks of disease. One where most routine goods are now transacted via Amazon and brought to our homes by FedEx. And one where we don’t go shopping very often, unless we’ve already invested hundreds if not thousands of dollars in a special experience? Something for stores to reckon with, and a dynamic that is continuing to shape the future of American storefronts. The Eras tour provided economic lift across the US this summer but what will take its place in 2024?

Here’s your shopping list:

1. Pear juice

2. Thyme simple syrup

3. Lyre’s Dry London, a non-alcoholic gin spirit

4. Lyre’s Classico, a non-alcoholic sparkling wine

5. Star anise

6. Sprig of thyme

Will you be heading to the pumpkin patch or winding your way through a corn maze this season?

Special thanks to Lyre’s for sending their Classico and Dry London. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

While I’ve been hiding out in the forest for the last 15 weeks, I’ve been dialing in a bunch of new health, wellness, and beauty practices. Some people have asked me for more details, so in today’s read, I’ll offer a behind-the-scenes look, juxtaposed with what I learned from the results of the newest primary research from The Information.

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EXERCISE

Survey Says: More than half of surveyed men (52%) self-report exercising 5-10 hours per week. An additional 15% report getting more than 10 hours per week of exercise. Just under half of women (48%) get 1-4 hours of exercise per week. Another 38% are keeping up with their male peers and partners by logging between 5-10 hours each week. According to national data captured in the American Time Use Survey, the US mean is 2 hours and 18 minutes per week for men and 1 hour and 45 minutes for women.

Silicon Valley is voting with their exercise habits.

The top five forms of exercise were:

1. Weight training

2. Running

3. Cycling

4. Walking

5. Yoga/pilates

In terms of investment, the norm for most men and women surveyed by The Information was $100-500 per month. But nearly 10% of men were spending more than $1000 each month, typically on personal trainers or expensive equipment like bikes, Tonals, and Peloton treads.

My Old Habits: $143/month for memberships

🚲 Peloton - I’ve had a Peloton since 2017. It’s currently on an 18-wheeler truck, somewhere between New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. At peak, I did about 3-4 rides per week. Over the last couple of years, I started using the in-app ($44/month) yoga, meditation, strength, and outdoor workouts even more than the bike.

🚶🏻‍♀️ Walking - During the pandemic, I started taking long walks around the neighborhood (along with everyone else) and now try to walk 3 or more miles at least 3 times a week, as part of my “fitness” routine.

💪 Classpass - I’ve had a Classpass subscription ($99/month) since 2014, and during the pandemic, it was on pause for about 18 months. Post-COVID, I use my monthly credits to drop into classes while traveling to other cities or save them to get massages and facials.

New (as of Summer 2023): $49/month for memberships

🏋🏻‍♀️ Gym Membership - In Whitefish, I joined “The Wave” using my Columbia University ID, getting me the student rate ($49/month). I developed my own 30-40 minute weight training program that I did once or twice a week, in addition to taking a couple yoga classes each week. I’ve really enjoyed going to a gym again.

⛰️ Living at altitude - I’m only at about 3,000 feet, but being in the Northern Rockies has afforded all sorts of altitude-related activities that have helped build some additional aerobic capacity. Last weekend I hiked to 7,000 feet, followed by a river kayak adventure. When I get back to sea level next week, I look forward to having a couple weeks of “superhuman” performance.

WELLNESS

Survey Says: The most common investment in wellness reported in the Brain-Body Investment Survey was nutritional supplements. Nearly 25% of respondents reported spending more than $100 per month on supplements, which is about four times higher than the national average, as per NIH data.

Responses in the survey showed that women outspend men on massage, acupuncture, and IV drips with 26% of women (versus 16% of men) reporting monthly spend of $100-500 on such activities. As for new wellness trends on the rise, infrared saunas, cryotherapy, and preventative scans/tests (such as Prenuvo’s elective MRI) were mentioned.

My Old Habits: $150/month for services (bodywork)

👐 Ortho-bionomy - I discovered ortho-bionomy in 2018 and for me, it is much more effective than massage therapy. I tend not to like intense pressure or pounding. It’s painful and not relaxing. But I do hold a tremendous amount of tension in my cervical column, traps, and glutes. For this, the light touch, low pressure practice (performed clothed) of helping the body “remember” its natural posture by working through proprioceptive aspects of the nervous system has been life changing. In NYC, I used Andrew Smith who works in Midtown and Flatiron at $150/hour.

🔛 Massage gun - After a big workout or a long hike, I use my Sportneer to cut through muscle tension, particularly in my quads, calves, and glutes. I’ve written about this model in previous posts, but I love that it’s travel sized (it usually accompanied me on my cross country flights to school on the weekends) and has a great battery life. I’ve been using it here and there this summer and charged it for the first time since May, a few days ago. Also, it’s just $45 on Amazon right now. (I paid $82 when I bought it in 2021.)

💨 Aromatherapy - I have a Vitruvi diffuser and also love to put a couple drops of essential oils in my hands to inhale before getting to bed when I’m feeling anxious or out of sorts. I always have lavender, mint, and something citrusy around. Other favorites include lemongrass. I also adore a bit of Palo Santo.

New (as of Summer 2023): $249/month for supplements and co-pays

🧫 Seed - Like the 80% of Information subscribers who report purchasing supplements each month, I’ve bought myself a ticket to ride. In July, I started taking seed ($50/month), a “synbiotic” which includes pre and probiotics. My hope was that it would help with bloating. It’s probably still too soon to say whether it’s doing much in that department, but the documented benefits of microbiome health are so numerous, that I’m willing to continue taking these even if I don’t “feel” an impact.

💊 Vitamin D hyper supplementation - My Vitamin D levels have been low on every single panel of labs I’ve had run since 2013. After a winter in a cold-weather climate, I knew that I was severely sun deprived. Even getting outside every day is generally not enough for my body to maintain Vitamin D levels, which results in a lot of bone and muscle aches, and a tendency towards feeling tired and depressed. After some careful experimentation, I also discovered that the Vitamin D in my multi-vitamin (see “Not Today, Grey” below) was not enough to get my levels back into the normal band. As a result, I take 50,000 IUs of Vitamin D once a week, which my insurance pays for (I pay about $5 per month for 4 pills), but you can also buy over the counter (here’s a two-year supply for $18). Right now I’m trying out a protocol of 4 weeks on, 2 weeks off, and then rechecking the level every 4-6 months.

⛔ Not Today, Grey - I’m long overdue on probably needing to cover up my grey hairs, but as a last resort, I started taking Not Today, Grey ($34/month) in June. While I have noticeably less white hairs, the supplement hasn’t exactly stopped or slowed the rate at which new ones are coming in.

🧘🏻 Somatic therapy - This has been a game changer. This summer, I did 17 sessions of somatic therapy. This specific format is surging in popularity, thanks in part to the success of the book “The Body Keeps the Score.” For me, the focus was on helping my body learn how to find and feel safe and relaxed after so many years of overwork, constant stress, and unrelenting travel. I was finding that even during moments when I should be relaxed (such as playing a mobile game while laying on the sofa, or watching a tv show), I was clenching nearly every muscle in my body. I realized that this habit - born out of a desire to feel like I could avoid losing or successfully defend myself from any threat - led to extreme fatigue and a lot of muscle tightness and pain (worsened of course, by my vitamin D deficiency). In somatic therapy, I learned to identify difficult feelings or experiences, and then figure out where they were residing in my body. With the help of my therapist, we explored the history of the feeling, what purpose it serves, and how to either dial it down in intensity or learn to activate it more selectively. I was extremely fortunate that my health insurance paid for these sessions at a $20 co-pay per session. Since it was so affordable, I went twice a week for the bulk of the summer. It was a superb container to talk about feelings coming up in the present, as well as some baggage from the past. But it wasn’t just talking for talkings sake. The goal was always to support the body through the uncomfortable physical sensations that show up as tension, pain, exhaustion, etc.

BEAUTY

Survey Says: It should come as no surprise that women are vastly outspending men on beauty treatments. About one-third of female survey respondents spent money on cosmetic injections or procedures. This compares to just 7% of men. Over half of women spend 1-4 hours each month on beauty and grooming services. Another 21% of women spend greater than 5 hours per month. A full 30% of men spend no time at all on beauty and grooming. The dollarized spend tracks the gender lines as well. The vast majority of men (87%) spend between 0-$100 a month on hair care while 39% of women spend between $100-500 each month. Similarly, 66% of men spend no money on skin care, but 32% of women are spending between $100-500 each month. While 39% of women aren’t spending any money on nail care, 46% spend up to $100 per month, and 32% spend between $100-500. Some 35% of women are investing in cosmetic injections and procedures, versus 6% of men. Commonly reported investments in beauty were laser, microneedling, botox, Coolsculpting, IPL, hair transplants, lash extensions, laser hair removal, fillers, facials, eyelid surgery and tummy tucks.

My Old Habits: About $200/month, amortizing products (skincare) and services (facials)

👩🏻 Skincare - For years, I had a solid routine of AM cleanse (Nuori $37), vitamin C (IS Clinical $158 or Trilogy $48), moisturize (Skinceuticals or Trilogy), and SPF (Kiehls $46). In 2019, I started using OTC retinoids and in 2020, went to prescription tretinoin .025%. My key to success has been starting slow (every 3rd night, then every other night, then every night) and making sure to layer it on a cleansed and fully dry face, between a light oil and a moisturizer. By sandwiching it between two layers of moisture, I’ve had minimal issues with redness, flaking and irritation. When trying to fill my prescription tret recently, my insurance rejected the claim on the basis of my age (older than 35). Many plans will only pay for it up to age 40, but GoodRx usually has coupons that bring the price point to around $40-80 (depending on pharmacy) for a tube that will last one to two years.

🧴 Acne care - In my 30’s, something shifted hormonally, and I started getting acne on my chest and back. It was intermittent - a handful of minor breakouts a year, but they were painful and sometimes scarred. Enter Panoxyl (a $9 benzoyl peroxide wash that I use on my neck, chest, and back) and Clindamycin 1% foam (which I recently learned is $571 cash-pay, but $15 with good insurance).

💆🏻 Facials - At 2019 peak, I had an incredible facialist that I tried to book once a month, typically using Classpass credits (since I was mostly riding my Peloton and not taking group fitness classes). When I could get regular extractions and deep hydration, my skin was pretty happy. Then along came COVID and over two years passed without a single service. I finally started going back sometime in early 2022 and now I try to have a service about once a quarter. I think the key for making this successful is finding someone who understands your skin and will work with you to find the right approach to getting you glowing. Ideally a facial costs around $150/session, before tip, but I’m willing to pay up to $200 all-in for a great service, especially if I’m only doing it about four times a year.

New (as of Summer 2023): About $200/month, amortizing products (skincare, hair care, oral care) and services (laser)

💥 Fraxel - When I saw a friend’s before/after photos in 2020, I knew that someday I wanted to invest in laser skin resurfacing. It was out of my price range while I lived in New York City last year (the cost can be up to $2000/session in major metro areas), so I took advantage of being in a lower demand geography this summer ($750/session in Montana) to have my first laser skin treatment. My aim was to remove some of the accumulated sun damage from poor choices as a teenager and lots of time outdoors in the last few years.

The first treatment was so effective, I went back to repeat four weeks later, to take advantage of the price differential and the fact that I have plenty of downtime in my schedule right now. Fraxel recovery takes about five days. I also asked for a “repeat customer discount” and it worked! The clinic agreed to do my second treatment at a 30% discount. I imagine that an annual laser tune up will be part of my routine as I continue to age, even though the results are known to be extremely durable.

🧼 Double cleansing - I went down the double cleanse rabbit hole this summer. When I’m not recovering from laser (which requires about a week of extra gentle, special products), I do an evening cleansing ritual with an oil based cleanser and then a foam cleanser (either Nuori or EltaMD). When I’m not using retinol, I will rotate in an exfoliating cleanser, such as the Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser ($46), which has beta-hydroxy acids for chemical exfoliation, and stone fruit fragments for mechanical exfoliation.

🚿 Hair mask - About twice a week, I use a hair mask to improve moisture and shine. I had good success with the Amika soulfood nourishing mask ($32) when I used it back in 2016 and used a gift card to add it back to my hair care routine this summer.

🧖🏻‍♀️ Leave-in conditioner - I use the hairdryer about twice a week and my latest hairstylist warned me that heat tools were causing my ends to split and hair to dry out and break. To combat this, I’ve added Ceremonia Guava Leave-In conditioner to my hair routine on days that I use my hairdryer (a Dyson Supersonic).

🙅🏻‍♀️ Arey Grey To The Root Serum - When I purchased my first bottle of Not Today, Grey supplements, I also ordered the volumizing serum that’s marketed to preserve hair pigment. I use it about 5 times a week, after I shower, and my first bottle ($41) has lasted me about 3 months. I will continue using the serum and supplements for the rest of the year and then re-evaluate in 2024, whether this is worth my continued investment.

💡 IPL (once/week) - I received the Braun Silk-expert Pro 5 ($350) device as a gift in 2020 but didn’t think to use it until three years later, when I finally worked up the courage to start zapping away my body hairs. After 10 weeks of once-per-week treatments, my leg hair is gone. At 5-10 minutes of time per week for 2-3 months and an upfront cost of around $350, this is a much better value than laser hair removal. I’m extremely happy with my decision to undertake at-home IPL this summer.

🦷 Teeth whitening - The last time I used Crest Whitestrips was in high school. But close to two decades of red wine consumption has finally caught up to me. In my 20’s, I did a round of in-office whitening and it was, no-kidding, one of the most painful experiences I’ve gone through. Never wanting to repeat that experience, I went back to Crest Whitestrips this summer. Back in July, P&G (the manufacturer of Whitestrips) had an incredible promo: Buy 1, get 2 free. For $45 (with free shipping), I got two kits of the 1-Hour Express ($40 on Amazon) and one kit of the Glamorous White ($38 on Amazon). Per the manufacturer instructions, you can use two kits per year. Since I have some sensitivity, I can only tolerate the strips when used every other day. I also change out my normal Crest 3D Whitening toothpaste for Sensodyne while I’m using the strips. This helps me knock down the discomfort level. With the 1-Hour Express kits, you wear the strips for 1 hour and there are 7 per pack, making it possible to finish the series of strips in one week. I did a two-week treatment (skipping a day in between to allow my teeth to recover) in mid-July and then decided to repeat it in mid-August. I had some immediate results the first time through, but was still dissatisfied with the color of my teeth in photos. Now that I’m almost finished with round 2, I can tell a big difference.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on new exercise, wellness, and beauty experiments you might be undertaking this summer. Drop me a note or leave a comment below! See you in September 🍂!

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A few weeks ago, I put together this video with some recommended Amazon purchases that are (with the exception of one item) less than $50 and have the potential to improve your day-to-day life. I compiled these recommendations based on my Amazon purchase history over the last four years. In nearly every instance, I ended up repeat purchasing these items. Some I used in my home design and retail business, others I used in my personal life.

My explanation for why each item hits the spot is detailed in this three-minute video.

Some of these purchases are now even less expensive than when we recorded this video last month, so take this as your stroke of luck to consider them as easy upgrades as the season shifts from summer to fall. Links below, and let me know if you end up adding these to your purchase history!

High value, low cost Amazon finds for home:

1. Under cabinet paper towel holder ($14.99 - 16.99, finishes vary)

2. Bathroom-sized simple human trash can ($29.99)

3. Handheld steamer (now just $29.18, a $10 price drop since July!)

4. Soap-dispensing dishwashing brush ($8.99)

5. Minimalist, modern coat hanger ($85, a $12 price drop since July!)

6. Triangular media stand ($13.99 - 15.99, finishes vary)

7. Handheld vacuum ($49)

8. All-purpose drinking glasses ($46.70, a $8 price drop since July!)

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Earlier this summer, I published an overview of the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”). Today, I’m back with a late-July update about what the latest report (dated July 12, 2023) has to offer in terms of insights about how to guide your personal spending. While I’m not an economist, I am comfortable processing data sets (my scrub is here) and making suggestions based on what the numbers are telling us.

As a refresher, Table 2 of the CPI offers us detailed expenditure data by category for all urban customers. This means that these numbers aren’t capturing the spending patterns of people living in rural areas, farms, the Armed Forces, and prisons. It’s still a very comprehensive cut of about 87% of the US population.

There are over 300 individual items included in this table, segmenting into food, energy, and non-food/non-energy items. We can find everything from hot dogs to window coverings, to musical instruments in Table 2. Best of all, it offers an easy reference for year over year change as well as change from the previous month. Even better, it takes the monthly data one step further and also includes a seasonal adjustment.

This equips us with enough information to look for big swings on an annual and monthly basis. As I evaluate these measures, I’m especially curious about divergences, for example, when there is a large positive or negative change over the course of a year, but seems to be reversing from in the most recent months data.

Let’s go exploring.

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Food

Have you felt the pinch of rising flour prices? Last summer, flour prices surged 5.3% in a single month. Flour and prepared flour mixes have risen in price by over 12% since June 2022. And that’s following even larger year-over-year increases from 2021 to 2022.

What happens when flour prices rise? Eventually cereal, bread, and baked good prices follow. And this is borne out in the data, with cereals up 7-9%, bread up 10-12%, and baked goods up 6-12% in a single year. This might be a good time to cut carbs or try going gluten-free!

And relief may be on the way soon, with one-year wheat futures down about 10% from the same time last year. But as commodity markets go, volatility strikes unexpectedly.

The news is also glum for frozen fruits and vegetables, up about 13-18% since 2022. Processed and canned fruits and vegetables are up 7-9%, too. This may be due to labor shortages at production facilities and/or poor growing conditions and reduced harvests.

And while fresh fruit prices are up close to 5% in a single month as extreme heat bakes crops and compromises the growing season, prices of apples and citrus fruits are both down 2.3% on a seasonally adjusted month-to-month basis. Tomato prices are up 2.8% from May to June 2023, and I felt this myself while paying $5.99 for a pint of grape tomatoes at the supermarket yesterday. Is it too late to start a garden?

As for cooking fats and oils, things have been bleak in the margarine department (up 13.1% since 2022) but looking better for butter (down 1.4% since 2022). And take this as your cue to stockpile oils and salad dressings, which ever so slightly declined in price in June after 9-13% annual price increases. Act quickly, because I read recently in the Financial Times that olive oil prices are set to spike due to a drought in Spain.

Following the outcry at the beginning of the year over egg prices, relief has arrived in the form of a 7.3% price decline from May to June. You’ll now find a dozen eggs for $1.99 in many grocery stores. Omelettes for every meal wasn’t on my 2023 Bingo card, but it is now.

If you like bacon with your eggs, you’ll be glad to hear that bacon and related products have fallen by 6-10% since this time last year. Even on a seasonally adjusted basis, prices fell over 100 basis points from May to June 2023. And if your family enjoys any type of pork product, prices for roasts, steaks and ribs are down 9.4% since 2022, and are 3.3% lower than in May 2023. Though ham has increased almost 5% since last year, on a seasonally adjusted basis, it’s trending nearly 3% lower from May to June.

Though ice cream prices are up close to 1% from May, the price of fresh whole milk has dropped 4% since last year, so invest your savings into an ice cream maker, or learn to make no-churn homemade ice cream.

But beware of spiking sugar prices. Similar to flour, sugar and sugar substitutes have increased 11% since last year. From May to June, prices are up close to 2%.

Takeaways:

• Flour prices continue to run high and spilling over into breads, baked goods, and cereals

• Frozen fruits and vegetables are way up in price, but apples, oranges and citrus fruit are down modestly

• Processed fruits and vegetables (canned and frozen) are way up in price, so it would be better to buy fresh and preserve at-home

• Egg prices fell 7.3% in a month and it’s an eggscellent time to buy more

• Buy pork products now, especially bacon and ham

• It’s a great time to buy whole milk

• If you’re thinking of making your own ice cream to solve for higher-than usual ice cream prices, consider alternate sweeteners as the price of sugar continues to skyrocket

Energy

If grocery prices have you searching for ways to penny pinch, some relief is available at the gas pump. But you’ll have to keep prices in context. Though gas is down 22-27% since last year, prices are up a tad on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Electricity prices rose 3.5% from May to June, which suggests that the record heat of this month could leave many consumers with whopping utility bills for air conditioning. But there’s other relief in the form of energy prices that cratered as much as 31-37% (motor fuels and fuel oil). These decreases show up in transportation cost declines, which we’ll investigate below.

Takeaways:

• A road trip is much cheaper in 2023 than in 2022

• Find cooler destinations for summer travel (San Francisco is barely 60 degrees for most of June and July) and leave your AC off while you go on vacation to counter electricity price increases

Non-Food, Non-Energy

The long wait times and lack of sales on appliances are behind us. Appliance prices have fallen over 10% from last summer, and between May and June, laundry-related appliances decreased over 3%. And if you might need some new tools to help get the appliance set up, prices abated close to 1% in June, despite a 6-plus percent rise from 2022 to 2023. For those with automotive know-how, motor oil, coolant, and fluids dropped more than 3% in June, sharply reversing the 4% increase of the prior year.

Now is the time for women to buy outerwear. Those with children at home, might be perplexed by the modestly sharper rise in girls apparel (4.1%) versus boys (2.6%) in the previous year, but the recent month’s 1.7% seasonally adjusted decline in girls apparel while boys apparel went 1.9% in the other direction. Perhaps this is the summer of equilibrating children’s clothing prices.

Though summer travel is well underway, falling energy prices have led to an almost 20% annual decline in airfare prices and an 8.1% drop in June. Pair that with a 2.3% decrease in hotel prices in June, and a 12.4% annual decline in rental car prices and you’ve got yourself a winning formula for travel. Just know that if you’re heading somewhere to catch a sporting event, that in June, ticket prices jumped 5.5%, which is vastly in excess of the 3.1% for all of the prior year. If you take public transportation, prices have declined close to 7% at the start of the summer, so maybe there’s some savings to be realized on the way to the stadium.

The trickle down effect of higher prices seems to have worked its way into the service provider sector, with vets, dentists, accountants, personal care providers and the like hiking their rates as much as 20% in the past year.

Takeaways:

• Don’t feel guilty about buying a new appliance right now

• Laundry equipment is an especially good deal

• Tools, hardware and supplies have increased in price since last year but began to reverse trend in June 2023, so don’t feel guilty about your trips to the hardware store

• Go jacket shopping for colder (and wetter) weather now, ladies

• Buy your daughters clothing now, but keep in mind that prices for boys apparel are up, despite girls apparel being down

• Stationery and gift wrap prices have jumped close to 10% since last year, so take advantage of flat prices from May to June to stock up now ahead of the fourth quarter gifting season

• Hotel prices were a seasonally-adjusted 2.3% lower in June and airline fares were over 8% lower so be on the lookout for summer travel bargains

• Renting a car or truck has come down in price more than 12% since last year, so it’s a good time for a summer road trip or move before the days get shorter and cooler

• The cost of attending sporting events rose 5.5% from May to June, despite only a 3.1% year-over-year increase, so factor this in when planning outings to cheer on your favorite team

• Public transportation costs dropped nearly 7% in June, so take the train/bus/streetcar when it makes sense

• Fees for specialized and skilled services ranging from vets, accountants, and personal care (dental, hair, shaving) have raised prices 8-20% in the last year, and prices continue to creep up, so learning to DIY things you previously outsourced could be a reasonable substitute of time for money

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A reminder that these metrics are published 10-14 days after the end of each previous month. The full calendar is available on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website. If you find reads like this helpful, please let me know!

Suffice it to say, this is the high season for baby showers and new arrivals. Whether you’re becoming a parent, or looking to celebrate someone who is, knowing what gear is trending in 2023 is a dizzying exercise, particularly if you’re not a parent yourself, or haven’t been around young children in a long time.

I polled about a dozen moms and dads of kids ranging from one month to about five years old, living in cities ranging from Menlo Park to Minneapolis to Melbourne (Australia!), to get smart about what products are game changers.

Consider this your cheat sheet from birth to about 2 years.

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Mobility

• Babyzen Yoyo stroller - It’s, “agile, easy to use, comfortable for the little passenger, and packs easily into the overhead cabin of most aircraft saving parents the hassle of having to check luggage for short trips,” said a business school classmate. “We used ours daily: from the urban, potholed streets of Manhattan, where we live, to vacations spots all around the world.”

• Uppababy Vista stroller - There are “multiple configurations for 2-3 kids meaning the stroller grows with your family,” reported a mom of two from Colorado (but currently an expat in Australia). “This has worked well for us and has a big under basket to carry things plus the ability to click in different capsules and seats.”

• Doona car seat and stroller - “We loved this for city life and travel. It’s also amazing for dining out. It’s small enough to fit tableside at restaurants!”

• Stroller cup holder - “Great for holding your beverage when going on walks with baby.”

• Ridesafer travel harness - “This is THE number one item I recommend to all toddler parents. It replaces a car seat and the need to carry one through the airport which is a travel game changer.”

• Lalabu carrier - “I loved this carrier because it was the perfect mix between a wrap (which can be hard to manage) and a super sturdy carrier (which can be uncomfortable),” said a mom of two boys. “It’s stylish, too!” 

• Baby K’tan - “I couldn't get the hang of ring slings, and the wrap style ones just frustrated me. I liked the Baby K'tan because it felt like a cheater wrap. Once I felt confident enough to do it, baby wearing was a lifesaver though.” (On the topic of baby wearing, another mom said, “I loved baby wearing and went through a bunch of baby carriers. I recommend a fitting which many stores offer to see what is most comfortable for the parent.”)

Diapering

• Leander mat - “Expensive but worthwhile. Nice because you can wipe sterilize and it is supposed to keep baby warm while changing nappy. It also means you can modify any table top to be a changing table vs getting the ugly table.”

• Hatch Grow - “This changing pad doubles as a scale which was helpful for checking the amount of milk the baby consumed after a feeding. I found having the data gave me a sense of control.”

Sleep

• Halo sleepsack swaddle - “Having one or two as a backup was super helpful.”

• Hiccapop inflatable toddler bed - “Sleeping kids while traveling is a thing. You’re already massively weighted down with baggage and pack and plays are their own whole piece of luggage. Something like this works well to sleep our daughter (she doesn’t need a pack and play but she does fall out so the bumpers keep her in, and it means we don’t need an extra bed (or bedroom) for her when booking Airbnbs, which can be a major cost savings. Ideally she sleeps in her own room though so it just gives flexibility in sleeping arrangements.”

• Hatch Rest+ - “The green light helps keep kids from getting up whenever they feel like it, plus white noise machine/nightlight combo. Great for travel.”

• SNOO bassinet - “This literally rocks the baby to sleep for you and they have secure swaddles which make life so easy,” reports a mom of twin girls in Nashville. “Bonus: they look super cute in your space!” Another mom of two in the Seattle area said, “both our boys slept great in this for the first four months.”

• Blackout curtains - “Great for travel to help make the room dark.”

Feeding

• Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair and baby tray - “Swedish design, sleek, minimalist, adjustable from baby to adult.”

• Inglesina fast chair - “Super portable, minimal footprint, and easy-to-clean.”

• Chair covers - “The Inglesina fabric gets dirty easily and these covers can go in the wash.”

• Comotomo bottles - “Super easy to handwash, and I liked that they're made out of silicone, not plastic,” said a Mom who tried several different types of bottles with her daughter.

• Bbox cutlery - “These worked well for both of our girls. They are good for getting them started eating solids. Soft spoon so you can scoop up what doesn’t go in the mouth and currently our 7-month old’s favorite toy as well.“

• EZPZ mat - “Start with the smaller version. The suction function helps ensure they don’t throw it on the floor.”

• Silicone bibs - “At 6 months a cloth bib works better but at about 9 months onward the silicone bib works better. It will catch food for a second chance and is a much better clothing protector than a cloth bib.”

• Kitchen helper - “We use this daily during breakfast and dinner time. Our daughter loves to see what we are doing and as she gets older, she can help out. I chose this one because it collapses down.”

Clothing

• Kimono style clothing - “I found it really difficult to put clothes on a tiny baby, especially anything that would go over our daughter’s head.”

• Magnetic clothing - “Pricey but worth it for nighttime diaper changes. When they’re so little and fragile and crying, you want to get their clothes off and back on as quickly as possible.”

• Ten Little (footwear) - “Comes with cute stickers that our daughter loved!”

Entertainment

• Magnatiles - Mentioned by nearly everyone, these are “a firm favorite for our toddler, from about age 1 all the way through to age 5+.” They’re reportedly, “versatile, easy to clean and easy to transport.” Plus, they’re a great toy for teaching kids about shapes and forces—an early lesson in physics!—and also for encouraging them to collaborate and share their toys with friends. 

• Tegu (similar to Magnatiles) - “Our daughter loved stacking these and the magnets help direct her.”

• Black and white toys and books - “As babies begin to develop better vision, they’ll start to become obsessed with black and white visuals. You’ll start to appreciate the few minutes of free time that you get.”

• Noggin Stick - “I learned about this at my pediatrician’s office. It helps the baby learn how to track things with their eyes.”

• Einstein musical toy - “This is annoying-looking, but it’s useful at preventing meltdowns and at 10 months, our daughter still loves it.”

• Lovevery subscription - “We really like their playmat and started subscribing to their toy kits when our daughter was five months old. The toys are developmentally-appropriate and foster open-ended play. The items are well-constructed and include guides about how to play with your child.”

• Squigz - “Great for teething, and also for sticking on (and pulling off) windows and doors at about 8+ months.”

• IKEA Kitchen set - “Now that our daughter is a toddler, pretend play is huge. Our most used item is the IKEA kitchen with miscellaneous pretend foods.”

Education

• The First Six Weeks - “This book was our bible as new parents. It’s helpful to read before the first baby comes so you can prepare. I re-read it when our second came along. One note, the author is Aussie so not everything will translate.”

• Good Inside membership - “The best thing I’ve done for myself as a parent, tied with Peloton 😃.”

• Feeding Littles course - “A friend recommended this, and it provided helpful foundational knowledge.”

Consumables

• Puracy stain remover - “It’s pure magic for removing stains from fabric and with a baby (now toddler) we have plenty of stains we battle every day.”

• Earth Mama foaming baby shampoo and body wash - “This unscented product is a bath time fave.”

• Supergoop stick - “These sticks made it easy to put sunscreen on her face.”

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Here’s a recipe for Pan Fried Corn & Burrata Ravioli, via video.

Bon appétit!

Today begins the Amazon Prime Day madness. In 2022, Prime Day deals led to over 60,000 purchases per minute in the US. More than one million pairs of sunglasses and swimsuits were sold.

I spent some time this morning sampling what’s on offer to ensure that I’m not missing out on any mid-summer deals that are too good to be true. Here are some standouts that I wanted to flag (and hopefully save you the time I spent scrolling). Many of these deals are limited in quantity and already approaching sold out status.

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Beauty

If you like skincare, get ready to break open the porcelain piggy bank in your bedroom, because this year’s assortment includes great deals on…

• Laneige, at 30% off. I’m a fan of the Berry lip glowy balm!

• Malin + Goetz, 30% off select products, including the peppermint shampoo, cilantro conditioner, and grapefruit face cleanser. Back in the day, these products were the highlight of my trips to Barry’s Bootcamp because let’s face it, burpees aren’t that much fun, but grapefruit face wash is.

• Sunday Riley, 30% off select products including C.E.O. Glow and Auto Correct Brightening and Depuffing Caffeine Eye Contour Cream.

• Sulwhasoo, 30% off select products. This Korean skincare favorite is starting to gain traction in the western world. The clarifying mask dries on your face and peels off in a satisfying sheet comprised of your former facial impurities.

• Olaplex, 20% off select products & Briogeo, 30% off select products including the cult-fave “Don’t Despair, Repair” hair mask.

• Braun Silk Pro 5, 16% off (under $300) during the IPL high season. From recent experience, I can say that this tool is almost painless and seems to be effectively thwarting hair growth on my legs after just two weeks of use.

• Oral-B brush heads, 33% off 6-packs.

• Foreo, at 50% off. While I haven’t used this line, it reminds me of my one-time devotion to Clarisonic.

Kitchen

Most people own too many kitchen gadgets. (Take it from someone that’s moved four times in four years.) I make these recommendations with an eye towards things that are value-priced or small-scaled and likely to add convenience and delight to your daily routine.

• Lodge enameled dutch oven, 55% off this imitator to the OG Le Creuset. This 7.5 quart piece makes an excellent gift for the newlyweds.

• Stagg EKG electric kettle, 20% off select colors.

• Plastic meal prep containers, $20 for a 50-pack. It seems silly to invest in what you get for free at most restaurants that partner with third-party delivery services like DoorDash and UberEats. But eventually, you end up with a mismatched assortment and finding the right lid to the container becomes wasted time. Solve your problems with magically matching food storage containers. Note: I don’t like to heat plastics like this in the microwave due to health concerns.

• Milk frother, $7.99 and a lifetime supply of turmeric lattes will be waiting for you. Also has potential to be an unsung hero of mocktail-making.

• Vitamix, 34% off this low-profile 64 ounce blender.

Home Organization

A few ideas to make your life a little more tidy.

• Velvet hangers, 24% off the 50-pack. If your closet is stressing you out, organizing your clothes by type, season, or color, might help. And to reduce visual cacophony, invest in matching hangers.

• Under sink organizers, 46% off this two-pack. When I moved to New York, these were a lifesaver since I lost a lot of storage space. These organizers easily double the amount you can store under kitchen and bathroom sinks.

• Shark, 10-50% off select products right now. Their high end hairdryer is currently $159.99. While it lacks the prestige of Dyson, Shark also has some high utility players in the vacuum and floor cleaning space.

Fun

Here’s a couple novelty items that you might not spring for without the sale.

• Embark Dog DNA test, 36% off, so you can finally figure out the family tree of your best furiend.

• Wooden block balancing stones, now 50% off ($17.99). Suitable for ages 1 and older. I often used these on coffee tables during my home staging days because they are fun for all ages to play with.

Pantry

Two foodie finds to consider.

• Fly by Jing, $24.99 for the 3-pack of chili crisp, Zhong sauce and mala spice mix (regularly $39.99).

• Wandering Bear Coffee, 26% off 6-pack cartons.

Entertainment

Upgrade your media consumption experience.

• Marshall, 50% off the Stanmore II speaker which adds the perfect vintage touch to your bookshelf. Looks like this only applies to the black color.

• Samsung Frame TV, 34% off (and under $1000 for the 55”).

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As we head into a holiday weekend in the US, you might have plans to gather with friends and family for an outdoor cookout. In fact, the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council says that on the 4th of July, Americans eat 150 million hot dogs.

That’s enough to stretch from DC to LA, five times.

Whatever you might be enjoying from the grill this season, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a cold beverage pairing. For such occasions, my grandma has some helpful opinions on five drink options available at your neighborhood Trader Joe’s.

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Today, we’re testing out:

1. Watermelon Cucumber Cooler, $3.49 for 64 ounces

2. Sparkling Strawberry Juice, $3.99 for four 8.45 ounce cans

3. Sparkling Pineapple Juice, $3.99 for four 8.45 ounce cans

4. Fresh Squeezed Limeade, $2.99 for 32 ounces

5. Jalapeño Limeade, $2.29 for 32 ounces

Click to view and let me know if you’ll be adding any of these products to your shopping list!

Chapter 1: A Scrappy Start

Sarah and Jake Dusek met working as overseas aid workers in 2003. When the couple moved back to Jake’s home state of Montana in 2009, the duo started Under Canvas, a safari-style tent camp in beautiful outdoor-focused destinations, with $40,000 borrowed from friends and family.

Initially, the company catered to pheasant hunters and fly fishers. “Such people tend to be well off and appreciative of distinctive experiences,” said Sarah in a 2017 story in Inc. "We had multiple billionaires who would fly in on their private jets and stay with us," says Sarah. "Lots of people out of Texas. Venture capitalists. A whole mixture."

As for infrastructure, Sarah’s time learning about AIDS in Africa inspired safari-style tents that Jake designed and had locally manufactured. Rather than plastic and nylon, the tents were framed in wood and draped with canvas to have a more romantic look that visually minimized functional components like zippers and screens.

Following two years of failing to break $100,000 in sales, the young couple began fielding inquiries from people who wanted to rent or buy their tents. An unexpected breakthrough came in the form of a music festival in New York that rented 150 tents. This single event was close to cash neutral, but did allow Under Canvas to expand their inventory of tents by nearly 40x from the 4 they started with. Not long after, the company owned 600 tents.

While their events business began to achieve momentum with private events bringing in anywhere from $10,000 to nearly $1 million in revenue, the Dusek’s wanted to double down on their four-tent safari camp experience. They had a sense of purpose around helping people access beautiful places.

In 2011, they put hundreds of thousands of dollars on credit cards and leased a property outside Yellowstone and set up 75 tents. Today the location offers organic bath products, a seasonal kitchen, nightly s’mores, live music, morning yoga, activities for kids, and West Elm furnishings. During the day, people enjoy local recreation offerings like hiking, fishing, and horseback riding.

The first Yellowstone location was such a success that in 2014, Under Canvas expanded to Moab and Glacier followed by a 2017 location in Zion.

Chapter 2: Growth

On the heels of nearly $9 million in 2017 revenue, San Francisco-based SBJ made a $17 million growth investment into Under Canvas. At that time, the company had 60 full-time and 150 seasonal workers, recruited mostly from overseas college students eligible to work for three months on a J-1 visa.

The 196-acre Zion location debuted in late 2017, implying that at the time, the 3 operational locations were doing an average of $3 million in revenue, each.

In 2018, Under Canvas opened camps in the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore and Great Smoky Mountains. Mount Rushmore received accolades in the Conde Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards in 2020 as one of “The Best Resorts in the World.” Having stayed there myself, I concur. It’s no Park Hyatt or One and Only, but it completely redefines the standard in what amenities-forward lodging in iconic outdoor recreation destinations that otherwise over-index in campgrounds and 2-star motels, can be.

And private equity agrees. In December 2018, KSL Capital Partners came along and made Sarah and Jake very rich. They sold Under Canvas over $100 million. Not bad for a couple that had once been swimming in credit card debt and struggling to get healthcare for their young kids.

But did they sell too soon?

As the outdoor recreation summer vacation became the global default in 2020 and 2021, Under Canvas had a safe, socially distanced, award-winning option. The company added two more camps to its roster during the pandemic. Lake Powell opened in April 2021 and Acadia came soon after in May 2021.

Last year saw the addition of Bryce Canyon, a fully “off the grid” location running entirely on renewable energy. This location included the introduction of a stargazer tent, designed so that a viewing window is positioned directly overhead the king size bed.

Chapter 3: Rinse & Repeat

There are now 11 Under Canvas locations plus a second brand offering called Ulum, which just opened this year in Moab.

With KSL’s backing, Under Canvas has expanded its Bozeman-based headquarters team to 100 corporate employees. While many early days deals were lease to own arrangements, most of the sites are now outright owned by the company. Now CEO Matt Gaghen cites international demand equivalent to about 15% of their total bookings in a typical year. Unsurprisingly, most domestic travelers hail from California or New York.

Using debt from Blackstone and Blackrock, the new leadership team has dialed in a returns model that generates over 20% within year one. Today, Under Canvas is a strong competitor to a typical outdoor resort. And with the “best food” in the local area offered right onsite, Under Canvas has aced their a la carte offerings. Retail partners include Lululemon, Stanley, Pendleton, and branded merchandise for people and pets (who are welcome at camp). Last year, Bluestone Lane became the exclusive espresso provider.

As I look across the landscape of hospitality opportunities that are generationally-relevant and continuing to build brand value, I can’t help but feel bullish about where the KSL-installed management of Under Canvas is taking the resort.

Chapter 4: Tips for Planning Your Visit to Under Canvas

As any good analyst would, I gathered some data (see here) about each location to try to perform a cursory pro forma build for the business. I’ll save this for the epilogue so as not to bore the poets in the crowd. Along the way, I realized that the consumer value prop for this information was some insight into how to optimize your summer travel planning. Here are a few insights that I uncovered.

Across the portfolio, the properties will operate for an average of 175 nights this season with an average of 58 tents, though some locations have less.

• The location with the shortest opening window is Glacier - about 20 mins from where I’m spending my summer. This property is open for 96 nights and has a low nightly price of $259 and high nightly price of $444. If you’re interested in visiting Glacier National Park, the heart of the season is July and August.

• The Great Smokies, Lake Powell and Moab locations are each open for 236 nights this year. The warm southern Utah climate allows Zion to operate for the longest of any of the locations at 243 nights.

• The overall average nightly price for all locations was $420. The locations with the lowest nightly rates are Great Smoky Mountain ($199), Moab ($219), Mount Rushmore and Grand Canyon ($229), and Glacier ($259).

• The three locations with the most tents are West Yellowstone (100), Grand Canyon (80) and Acadia (63). If you’re looking for space to roam, Bryce Canyon offers 750 acres, while Moab’s original spot only had 40 acres.

Epilogue: What is Under Canvas worth today?

I established in “Chapter 2” above that the first three locations were generating roughly $3 million a year in 2017. By the end of 2018 when KSL became the new majority shareholder, there were 7 locations, so it seems plausible that even in year one of partial operations, the business was doing at least $1-1.5 million in each new location, providing another $4-6 million on top of the $9 million the previous year. Best I can tell, the business was generating $13-15 million of revenue in 2018. Since it’s on record that the Dusek’s sold the business for more than $100 million (but probably not significantly more, otherwise a higher round number would be socialized), let’s just assume that it was somewhere between $110-120 million. This would imply a multiple of 7.3 - 8.5x revenue multiple at a $110 million exit, and an 8 - 9.2x revenue multiple on a $120 million exit value. This gives us a range of 7.3 (on the low end) to 9.2 (on the high end).

With 2023 estimated revenue, we can use that multiple to figure out an approximate valuation.

Here’s how I built a very simple revenue projection.

1. Establish number of opening days in the season.

2. Obtain the low and high rate for the season. Use this to estimate a mean. (Caveat: the better estimate would be to pull all price data and obtain the actual mean. I did not do this, so my estimate is subject to skew.)

3. Access the tent census from public sources.

4. Get booking potential by multiplying operating days by average nightly rate by number of tents. This number doesn’t take into account that there are 6-10 different types of tents and that nightly prices are quoted for the least expensive option. This is the primary way that below full capacity operating days are compensated for. As such, the actual fully saturated revenue capacity is higher, perhaps by another 30%, or more.

5. Estimate food and beverage by assuming an average of 2.5 guests per tent at two meals (breakfast and dinner) per day at $20 each (which smooths variances like dinner costing more than breakfast). I assume that lower occupancy days are smoothed out by higher occupancy tent types and by lowballing my $40/person/day estimate. When I stayed at Under Canvas, I think my breakfast was around $14, plus $5 for orange juice. Dinner options were from about $18-35 and alcoholic drinks were probably between $8-18 each.

6. Estimate retail by assuming that it generates another 5% of whatever bookings end up being. I assume that the locations with higher nightly rates attract more affluent visitors who scale their discretionary retail spend.

Based on this math, I get to around $48.5 million in approximate bookings, $11.7 million of food and beverage offerings, and about $2.5 million of retail. The total is around $62.3 million.

Since the locations that opened in the last year or two are potentially still ramping, I tend to have a number more like $50 million in my mind (optimistically) of what the business is currently running at.

To revisit valuation, $50 million in revenue today times 7.3x is $365 million. On the higher end, the implied valuation is $460 million.

If I were a banker, I could find a lot of ways to get this above $500 million. In fact, even using the $62.3 million estimate for 2023 revenue with the 9.2x revenue multiple gets us to $573 million. But I’d remind you that Hyatt Hotels, a public company, trades at a market cap that’s just over 2x its trailing twelve month revenue. So if this business is aiming to build a global outdoor hospitality footprint that eventually plays in the public market, institutional investors may not award the company the same valuation that its private equity predecessors did.

That’s exactly what Eric and Laura Sorkin decided to do in 2000. Today, they’re the owners of Runamok, a line of beautifully packaged, uniquely flavored maple syrup, honey, and cocktail provisions.

Eric and Laura met in the Environmental Management program at Duke. After graduation, they lived the stereotypical DC life as young consultants. But in 2000, their aspirations to grow vegetables (Laura’s dream) and live in Vermont (Eric’s dream) led them north. As Christine McGowan wrote in a March 2022 story,

“Laura dreamed of living closer to the land and operating a diversified vegetable farm. 'She was really interested in growing vegetables, said Eric, and I was interested in following her.’”

Soon, Laura was apprenticing at a farm and the young couple was looking for land of their own. Not long after, they found their place on the back side of Mount Mansfield, the highest mountain in Vermont.

For the next fifteen years, the couple ran an organic farm. As Laura tells it, “Eric was fixing tractors and building the greenhouse” while she did most of the farming. The farm grew to include a CSA (community supported agriculture) offering, where Laura wrote a weekly newsletter that included notes on the week’s haul and suggestions for preparing the freshly harvested produce. Laura eventually pitched a column to the Burlington Free Press about what was fresh and how to cook it. One day, Cider Mill Press reached out and asked Laura to write a vegetable cookbook. The result turned into an 832-page epoch published in 2020.

A decade or so into their journey as organic farmers, the Sorkins were confronted with the reality that it was going to be “hard to make a living selling vegetables” now that two young children had entered their lives. But provenance was right on their property. Their 600-acre “farm” was heavily forested. Sugarers (that’s slang for people who produce maple syrup) had been coming around asking to lease the land for syrup production. Eric decided to go all in setting up a maple syrup operation of their own. At that time, a 5,000 tap production was considered large. Today, the family has 86,000 taps on their Cambridge, Vermont property, and another 25,000 taps in Bolton - just 45 minutes south.

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In case you’re not indoctrinated to the nuances of commercial maple syrup production, the tapping season generally begins in January.

Runamok uses a 12-person crew that navigates over 700 miles of tubing covering over 1,000 acres of land. Navigating waist-deep snow, the woods crew is responsible for line maintenance to ensure that leaks are minimized or avoided and that the sap, which will flow 24/7 when daytime temperatures begin to rise above freezing, flows to the sugarhouse, where the sap is boiled into syrup.

I happened to grow up with a maple tree in my front yard, so I’ve taken it for granted that maple is not found outside of northeast North America. But most maple syrup is produced in Quebec. In fact approximately 85% of maple syrup is produced in Canada, where an OPEC-like federation sets prices, determines how much to produce and holds a physical reserve of the product to help smooth year-to-year fluctuations in yield. Like honey, maple syrup can be stored for years. A bad year means reduced yield. Climate change is impacting sap flow and variable weather conditions. In 2022, most US production was down by as much as 50%. But regional variances do exist. Some north-facing areas tend to be colder than south facing areas and temperature deltas contribute to different outcomes every year, reinforcing an inevitable reality. Maple syrup production remains one of the last commercial foodstuffs that’s wild-harvested.

For the first seven years of sugaring, the Sorkin’s syrup business sold in bulk lots and was called Thunder Basin Maple Works. But the name was too long and became difficult to remember. So in 2016, when the Sorkin’s added Curt Alpert as a partner to bring a premium retail brand to life, they knew they needed to settle on a new name. Runamok was hotly contested. It was that range of viewpoints that helped convince Laura that it was right. After all, their previous name was not memorable. For a business that’s based in large part on the weather, “Runamok” seems ever more apropos.

Because the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers sets prices for 85% of the market, US-based maple producers have little ability to influence prices. This frustration led the Sorkin’s to innovate their way to upmarket offerings that differentiated from the plethora of locally produced maple syrup sold all over the Northeast. Their key insights included:

1. Maple syrup hadn’t been branded - it was still being sold in beige colored putty jugs. They saw an opportunity to use a different shape of bottle and bring design to what felt very homogenous and commodity.

2. Maple syrup was a fairly expensive item that could be packaged differently and presented with recipes to be turned into a gift.

3. It complements a lot of different flavors and had the opportunity to go beyond pancakes as a “pantry sweetener.”

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In 2016, Runamok debuted at the New York Fancy Food Show.

Despite their suboptimal location in a discounted basement booth for emerging brands, their investment in bringing their line of infused, barrel aged and smoked maple syrups to the show led to press in the Wall Street Journal, Saveur, and later that year, inclusion in Oprah’s Favorite Things. For a company in its inaugural holiday season as a retail business, it was quite the coming out party.

To accommodate the rapidly scaling business, the team bought an old Scrabble tile factory in Fairfax, Vermont in 2017. The space was vacated by Milton Bradley when they moved production to China. Once upon a time, the game manufacturer turned maple wood into tiles. So in a circular way, retrofitting the facility to produce maple syrup was the perfect reprisal. Laura describes the facility, which the company began occupying in 2018, as an “expensive transformation, but totally worth it.”

Since their 2016 launch as Runamok, each subsequent year has led to further sales growth. In 2021, the business generated between $10-20 million in revenue.

Their #1 bestselling product was a complete surprise.

After seeing pearlescent mica (which was FDA approved in 2015) showing up in beer and spirits, Eric suggested to Laura that they put the glitter-like substance in their maple syrup. Laura expressed her doubts. Then along came COVID. Suddenly people were cooking a lot more breakfasts at home for their families. Desperate for moments of joy, Sparkle syrup - now patented - was the perfect antidote to lockdown days of drudgery. At $19 a bottle, it’s a special splurge. But it caught my eye at the Whitefish, Montana Safeway store, and yesterday morning I poured it over my Ube-Mochi pancakes, documenting my delight for my 1200 instagram followers. After all, sparkle syrup is exactly what dreams are made of, whether you’re 7 or 37 or 77.

As for what the best compliment that someone could give Laura might be? She loves hearing people’s amazement at how many ways maple can be used. As someone who used to prepare a team lunch every Friday until the team outgrew the capabilities of her home kitchen, she also gets abundant joy from hearing that people have tried her recipes and added them to their regular rotation.

As Runamok looks ahead, the future may include outside equity investors. A raise is currently underway. Proceeds could help finance further category expansion into other shelf-stable goods. Categories where there’s room for innovation, unique flavor profiles and better packaging seem like a good fit for the Runamok team. And it wouldn’t be their first time. In 2021, Runamok expanded into nature’s other exquisite sweetener and introduced a line of raw, infused, and hot honey. The company also created a collection of cocktail mixers, syrups and bitters.

Beyond the beautiful design and top-flight products are entrepreneurial environmentalists trying to build a sustainable business. So it comes without surprise that their facility is flanked in solar panels and that their employees are offered high-quality health insurance and paid family medical leave. And like Patagonia has received accolades for, Runamok hopes to one day offer their employees on-site childcare. At 85 employees today, it’s a sizable operation, one that you just can’t help but cheer for.

In 2005, a startup in Brooklyn called Etsy came along with a mission of connecting buyers and sellers of unique handmade items. By the end of 2022, Etsy was connecting 7.5 million sellers with 95.1 million buyers. The marketplace business transacted just short of $12 billion of merchandise last year.

From an arms distance, the business is still going up and to the right. Last year’s revenue reached $2.5 billion, up modestly from the previous year’s $2.3 billion. But we’re living through an important transitional year for Etsy, and for the entire arts and crafts community.

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Last year, Etsy experienced its first drop in annual gross merchandise sales (“GMS”) since it was founded in 2005.

With some thoughtful maneuvering, Etsy was able to make last year’s top-line results seem reasonably robust by increasing the fee that it charges to sellers from 5% to 6.5%. The company also continued to build capabilities in value-added merchant services including on-site advertising, shipping labels, and more. This segment delivered $655M in 2022 revenue, up from $585M in 2021.

But after five consecutive years of profitability, 2022 saw more than a billion dollar swing in net income from the previous year. In 2021, the company reported a $493 million profit. In 2022, massive goodwill impairment charges caused the company to lose $694 million.

Woof.

Behind the recent lackluster results is an internet commerce company that only the astute would have bet on as a pandemic rocket ship.

Though it was no Zoom or Moderna, from trough to peak, between March 2020 and November 2021, the stock soared from $30 to nearly $300. As borders shut down, supply chains screeched to a halt, and consumers figured out that buying homemade goods from other people stuck at home was one way to avoid going shopping in stores for gifts, party supplies, and home decor. And let’s be honest, Covid increased our interest in beautifying our living quarters, having parties with our pod, and comforting ourselves and our loved ones with thoughtful indulgences.

While IRL events were on hold for nearly three years, a few craft fairs used summer months to hold outdoor, socially distanced gatherings.

Now that events are back in full swing, Etsy sales are slowing down. I suspect this is due to the resumption of in-person craft fairs and art shows. When the number of such events went to 0 in 2020, the number of Etsy sellers increased from 2.7 million (in 2019) to 7.5 million in 2021. While I wouldn’t go so far as to suggest that the active Etsy seller census and the number of domestic craft fairs are mutually exclusive, I believe the availability to exhibit and sell at the latter was (until 2020) functioned as a low-grade barrier. Makers that preferred to sell locally or in-person, didn’t need to use Etsy because other sales channels existed.

Etsy prefers to point to macro headwinds as a contributor to decreasing GMS. In my mind, macro strain impacts average GMS more than the demand (buyer) or supply (seller) side. Etsy’s self-reported data has just started to reflect this trend, which is not good news given the surge of inflation between 2021 and 2022. During a time when prices of most consumer purchases kept ticket sizes flat to modestly up, the reversal suggests that the trend line could fall further in 2023. If I were a shareholder, I’d be watching this closely, or thinking of getting out of the stock (of course, cost-basis dependent) unless I started to hear more from management about how they intend to stabilize average GMS.

The nuances of handmade items are more compelling when you can have a tactile interaction with the product under consideration. Crafts are one of the original forms of social commerce. While the conversational aspect of the exchange is replicated in Etsy’s checkout and feedback flow, swapping digital messages can ultimately feel tedious and transactional. The joy of meeting the maker and forging personal connections is lost when we leave it to online sales to substitute for discovering and supporting people who make and sell small-batch and one-of-a-kind goods.

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Growing up in Minnesota, church basement craft fairs and cold arena art shows filled many of my childhood weekends.

My mom, aunts, and grandmothers loved to drop by craft fairs to browse selections of gifts and decor. For me, these early immersions into the world of handmade items drastically shaped my own aesthetic sensibilities and interest in making things of my own. When I moved to San Francisco and began attending Renegade Craft and West Coast Craft, I felt like I hit the maker jackpot. I used these shows to source new partnerships for Batch and shop for local, unique wares for my own home.

On the discovery front, lovers of high-quality craft products are often not comparison shopping. Online algorithms tend to be optimized around finding “the best” or “the right” product. When I wander around craft fairs, I’m looking for the best products, period. I seldom show up at a show thinking, I’m here to buy an 18x24” watercolor print with a coastal vibe. But if I stumble across one and love it, I might spring for it. This type of “random walk” and “impulse purchase” are super hard to codify and turn into an algorithm. And even if Etsy’s data teams could get this right - perhaps with the help of AI - I worry about what the algorithms will miss or get wrong. Of course, I’ll never know what I’m not seeing, but when I go to craft fairs with sourcing, discovery, or even entertainment in mind, I make two passes through the aisles to ensure I give everything a second look. I don’t like missing things. Something about the finite nature of even the largest shows helps me feel satisfied that whatever my purchases are, I’ve optimized my outcome based on available inventory for sale. With Etsy’s 100 million products, discovery is a complicated problem… a paradox of growth.

Another concern I have for Etsy is that close to five million of their active merchants have joined in the last one to three years. Many of these sellers came to the platform to transact with their previously offline communities during a time when they couldn’t sell in-person. For these sellers, higher fees and decelerating platform sales growth mean giving up more of each sale in a higher-competition digital environment. Over time, this may incentivize poorly producing sellers to leave the platform. The countervailing force is that setting up an Etsy storefront is an investment of time and effort that most people would hesitate to dismantle if there was any possibility of returning to it after they left. But could we end up with a bunch of zombie storefronts as in-person event driven craft commerce makes a comeback?

So far, I have scant proof that this will be true. However, as I’ve visited two farmers markets in Northwest Montana this summer, I’ve been struck at how the assortment of vendors skews heavily towards handmade goods. It just may be that early June isn’t quite peak summer harvest season for local growers and market operators want to fill booths. Sellers of soap, jewelry, ceramic mugs, candles, baby clothing, vintage fashion, dog bandanas, and tabletop accessories seem to be really out there getting after it.

Etsy’s a big business now. Big businesses are hard to grow and change. And were crafts ever meant to be monetized by titans of the internet? A debate for another day, perhaps.

So maybe we’re entering peak omni-channel times for artists and makers. And that wouldn’t be the worst scenario for anyone.

I’ve always loved cooking shows and it was a thrill to feel like I was starring in my own as we recorded this video about how to make one of my current favorite noodle dishes.

There are three places in two cities where you can find the OG Momofuku Ginger Scallion noodles. At Noodle Bar’s two locations in New York City, the entree is currently $19. At Momofuku in Las Vegas, you can find these noodles on the menu for $22.

A couple variations exist between David Chang’s classic and my re-interpretation. I plate the noodles on a bed of mixed greens to up the veg factor. This is a trade off with the seaweed that is in the original dish. My version skips the kelp but adds chopped almonds for some extra crunch. In the restaurant, a poached egg costs $2 extra. My version includes a soft boiled egg.

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To re-create this dish at home, your shopping list should include:

• Dried noodles (Momofuku version here)

• Fresh ginger

• Cilantro

• Scallions

• Sesame seeds

• Chili crunch (Momofuku version here)

• Sliced almonds

• Egg, soft-boiled for 6 minutes

• Shiitake mushrooms, pickled (see here) in rice wine vinegar, soy, salt, sugar, ginger)

• Mini cucumbers

• Mixed greens

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For Part 2, I reached out to Pooja Bavishi, founder of Malai, a Brooklyn-based artisanal ice cream company inspired by the flavors of South Asian spices and ingredients.

Pooja’s entrepreneurial journey began while finishing her MBA at NYU. Just eight years ago, she spent her weekdays making ice cream and storing it in chest freezers in her Manhattan apartment. On the weekends, she recruited friends and family within a four-hour driving radius to help her scoop ice cream at street fairs. As any good founder would, she brought surveys and collected lots and lots of feedback on her latest creations.

As luck would have it, one day late in her first summer, a NYTimes food writer tried Pooja’s ice cream and suggested she drop some off at their office. Florence Fabricant was the first person to write about Malai… not a bad debut piece of publicity. Since then, Malai has appeared in every Tier 1 food publication, including a follow up NYT story by Kim Severson in November 2022.

Malai literally means “cream of the crop.” Pooja chose the name to embody luxury. She sees the brand as a way to tell her own story of being a first-generation Indian American. Ice cream, quintessentially “Americana,” is the perfect palette to inject the spices of Indian cuisine.

Though her role is more “CEO” than “founder” these days, Pooja still conceptualizes the flavors. In the beginning, she borrowed from family recipes to figure out unique flavors. Mango and cream was first, which was a spin on a summer dish that her mom made. Freshly sliced mangoes are bathed in milk. The milk takes on the mango flavor. Malai’s Mango & Cream is kind of like “sorbet and ice cream in one.”

An aunt’s corn pudding seasoned with sugar and saffron was the starting point for Sweet Corn Saffron. Masala Chai began with the exact same recipe that her family used to make their chai tea every day. Recently, Malai introduced a Milk & Cookies ice cream based on the childhood “milk masala,” flavored with almonds and saffron.

Observing that her family seemed to have elevated sensibilities with flavors and recipes, I asked Pooja if she comes from a family of foodies. While her family eats traditional Indian cuisine “three of seven days a week,” and Pooja’s comfort food is her “mom’s Indian cooking,” she attributes her family’s influence as one of cultural curiosity. Despite being vegetarian, her Dad always insisted that “we’ll find something” {to eat} on road trips and long journeys. Growing up, Pooja remembers her parents openness to trying other ethnic foods and their willingness to experiment with making those dishes at home.

But cultural curiosity wasn’t the only thing she got from her family. Pooja says that her real luck is her family, who were ready to back any idea she had. Between then and now, they’ve also provided a lot of physical labor. This heartwarmingly reminds me of the time my Dad flew to San Francisco and worked with the Batch team installing a 6-bedroom home while I went on vacation.

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When I asked Pooja what kind of customer experience is the most satisfying, she quickly told me that it was the skeptic. While preparing to debut the Orange Fennel flavor, she sold a scoop to a lady at the weekend market. After putting the first bite in her mouth, the customer quickly did a 180 degree turn and marched right back. Pooja already had the money in her hand to offer the customer a refund. But it turns out that it wasn’t a distaste for the product that turned the woman around. Instead, it was the memory of the customer’s late Italian aunt who used to make orange-fennel cookies.

Those flavor associations run deep. They are sensory, and while sound (like music) and scent (like candles or fragrance) can evoke similarly powerful sensations, taste is particularly profound. It comes from a place of nostalgia. If Malai sparks another memory, well… that’s a special moment.

As for what’s ahead for Malai, Pooja is in the midst of raising a Seed Round. Interested investors can ping me (hello@consumerealm.com) for a personal introduction. The round’s proceeds will be used to expand retail outside of New York City (where Malai currently has a brick and mortar location in Brooklyn, an outpost on Pier 57, and a daily presence in the High Line). The product is currently available nationwide through Goldbelly and in grocery stores in the Northeast.

“What I’m Googling has changed,” says Pooja. It used to be “how to ship ice cream” and now it’s “how to move palettes.”